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Potential new Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim is reportedly already eyeing an incredible move to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news involving Jassim and Neymar?

The deadline for third offers at Old Trafford has now passed, with Jassim making a final take-it-or-leave-it offer to take full control from the Glazers.

Jassim previously wanted a takeover 'done quickly' so he could help Erik ten Hag in the transfer market, and it looks as if the Qatari group are already identifying targets at Old Trafford, with Neymar potentially a huge statement signing.

Should Jassim’s offer prove to be successful, The Sun ‘understands that one of his first actions will be to make an incredible move to sign Neymar’.

They say that the forward ‘would be a marquee signing for the club to signal the new owners' intentions moving forward’, with PSG potentially open to offers due to the player’s struggles with injuries.

Setting the bar high…

Neymar is on a whopping salary of around €1bn-a-week (£950,000) in Paris, so Jassim would need to show his financial power to bring the Brazilian to Manchester. He's also a "huge fan" of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, so appears to be hitting the bar high when it comes to possible additions to the squad.

The 31-year-old has scored 293 goals and has provided 188 assists during his 493-game club career for Santos, Barcelona and PSG, while he has also netted 77 times for his country, showing the quality he could bring to England.

Mark Goldbridge wasn't thrilled after hearing Neymar could be a target for the Red Devils, though, but he could be happier if it is Jassim taking over at United instead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with The United Stand presenter hitting out at the possibility of Ratcliffe keeping the Glazers involved at Old Trafford.

Sixteen-year-old batsman Jason Sangha has become the youngest player ever contracted by New South Wales after he was handed a rookie deal for the 2016-17 season

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2016Sixteen-year-old batsman Jason Sangha has become the youngest player ever contracted by New South Wales after he was handed a rookie deal for the 2016-17 season. The Blues have finalised their squad list for next summer and another teenager, the 18-year-old spinner Arjun Nair, who last season made his state debut aged 17, has received a full contract.Wicketkeeper-batsman Jay Lenton and top-order batsman Ryan Gibson have earned full contracts, while offspinner Chris Green and fast bowler Liam Hatcher have been handed rookie deals. Opening batsman Daniel Solway, who held a rookie contract last season, has missed out on this year’s list.The inclusion of Sangha came after he enjoyed a meteoric rise through the junior ranks last summer, starting the season in the New South Wales Under-15 Schoolboys team before also being picked in the Cricket Australia Invitation sides for both the Under-17 and Under-19 National Championships.A batsman from Newcastle, Sangha was also picked in Australia’s Under-19 team in January and scored 102 on Youth ODI debut against Pakistan in Dubai. He will juggle his training with the Blues and his Year 11 high-school commitments throughout the rest of 2016.”New South Wales has a long tradition of backing young talent and we are delighted to be able to bring Jason Sangha, Arjun Nair, Liam Hatcher and Chris Green into the Blues squad this summer,” Andrew Jones, the Cricket New South Wales CEO, said.”Along with Mickey Edwards, Jonte Pattison and Henry Thornton, these rookies have a tremendous amount of potential and we look forward to seeing them develop under the guidance of the Blues coaching staff and senior players.”The Blues had a solid summer in 2015-16, winning the Matador BBQs One-Day Cup and achieving the best win-loss record in the Sheffield Shield. The squad also supplied the majority of the Australian Test team. Our challenge now is to build on this momentum, to defend the Matador Cup and win the Sheffield Shield.”New South Wales squad Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Ed Cowan, Pat Cummins (Cricket Australia contract), Ben Dwarshuis, Ryan Gibson, Josh Hazlewood (CA), Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Josh Lalor, Nick Larkin, Jay Lenton, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Arjun Nair, Peter Nevill (CA), Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu, Steven Smith (CA), Will Somerville, Mitchell Starc (CA), David Warner (CA).
Rookies Mickey Edwards, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Jonte Pattison, Jason Sangha, Henry Thornton.

An unconvincing South Africa survived a spirited Afghanistan chase to defend a 200-plus score and get their World Twenty20 campaign back on track

The Report by Firdose Moonda20-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details 4:07

Chappell: South Africa have a few bowling concerns

An unconvincing South Africa survived a spirited Afghanistan chase to defend a 200-plus score and get their World Twenty20 campaign back on track. In the absence of Dale Steyn, who was left out for tactical reasons, Chris Morris and Imran Tahir squeezed through the middle period to ensure AB de Villiers’ quickfire 64 was not in vain.Afghanistan’s second loss means their chances of progressing to the knockouts are all but over, but they have showed their promise. They kept up with the required run-rate for the first half of their innings and were ahead of where South Africa were at the same stage in their knock, but lost too many wickets to keep going. Afghanistan also did not have a 17th over like South Africa did; de Villiers took 29 runs off Rashid Khan, which ended up being the major difference between the two sides.In the end, South Africa will be relieved that they were able to defend their total, but disappointed that the margin of victory was not bigger. They tightened up on their discipline in the field but still gave away more extras than their opposition – six wides compared to two from Afghanistan – and did not show the kind of killer instinct that they will need later in the tournament.They also suffered an injury concern. JP Duminy left the field four balls into Afghanistan’s chase with a hamstring strain and was unable to take any further part in the match. Duminy has only just found form again and his availability will be important for the rest of the World T20.As the same venue where they posted 229 batting first on Friday night, South Africa chose to set a target again. Quinton de Kock picked up from where he left off two days ago and dominated the opening passages of play. De Kock faced all but one delivery in the first two overs and found the boundary five times. Hashim Amla may have wanted to catch up but after one four, gifted a catch to Asghar Stanikzai at mid-off.South Africa held de Villiers back and sent in Faf du Plessis at No.3. The strategy worked. Du Plessis took on the spin from Mohammad Nabi while de Kock continued to attack in the Powerplay. South Africa finished it on 66 for 1 and 60 of those runs came in boundaries.When the fielding restrictions were lifted, Rashid put the brakes on with the first boundary-less over of the innings, but du Plessis did not want things to slow down too much. He picked up the pace before being run-out and de Villiers was soon at the crease.Afghanistan were not under threat immediately while de Villiers settled in and de Kock nicked off. After conceding just 19 runs in three overs after the halfway stage of the South African innings, Afghanistan might have been hopeful of pulling South Africa even further back. But Duminy and de Villiers were wise to the need to accelerate and began to push for runs.De Villiers should have been caught for 27 when he offered Samiullah Shenwari a return catch but he could not hold on his follow through and Rashid suffered most. He was torn apart in his final over, when de Villiers went over midwicket and down the ground five times. The result? Six, four, six, six and six. South Africa’s total went meandering to mighty and 200-plus was within sight. It was up to David Miller to take them there after de Villiers was dismissed. Twenty runs off the final over ensured South Africa had a second straight 200-plus score.South Africa would have felt fairly safe with 209 on the board, especially as Afghanistan two previous scores over 210 were only achieved batting first, but Mohammad Shahzad threatened to gun down that total all by himself. He began fearlessly against Kagiso Rabada and Kyle Abbott and plundered 32 runs off the first two overs. His partner Noor Ali Zadran did not face a ball until the third over and then, it was only to return the strike to Shahzad.Morris was brought on in the fourth over and showed improvement from previous performances. He started by holding his length back but then steamed in with a delivery just under 150kph – full and straightening – which splayed Shahzad’s stumps.Asghar Stanikzai and was caught behind in Morris’ next over but Gulbadin Naib kept Afghanistan in it and targeted David Wiese, South Africa’s replacement for Steyn. Afghanistan reached 10 overs on 103 for 2, 11 runs ahead of where South Africa were at the same stage. Then, Gulbadin was caught behind, Noor Ali was stumped, and Afghanistan were wobbling, still needing 100 runs off eight overs. Their chase was over then and South Africa had the chance to drill home an advantage.Instead, they allowed Afghanistan to drag it out. Abbott and Morris got the yorker right more often than they did in previous matches and Rabada managed one at the end, but South Africa will not feel it was a complete performance by any means.

Chelsea are considering dismissing Graham Potter from his managerial duties after appointing the Englishman only earlier this season.

What’s the latest on Chelsea’s managerial position?

The Premier League giants have fallen wayward this season, and despite replacing Thomas Tuchel with Potter in the maiden phase of campaign, Chelsea languish in tenth place after 23 matches.

As such, according to reports stemming from Spain, there have been a number of managers discerned as potential successors to the managerial position in west London, and Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone could be a tailor-made appointment at Stamford Bridge.

Simeone, according to prior reports, is set to depart from his role at the head of the Madrid-based outfit at the end of the campaign, ending an 11-year attachment to the club after arriving from his Argentine homeland in 2011.

Would Simeone be a good fit at Stamford Bridge?

Chelsea are a football club steeped in silverware. Since the turn of the millennia, no club in English football have clinched more major honours than the Blues; in 2020, Chelsea had one more trophy than Manchester United behind them, who have not tasted triumph dinner winning the Europa League in 2017.

And should the “respected” – as dubbed by Ralf Rangnick – Simeone be handed the opportunity to craft his own chapter in west London, he might just combine with owner Todd Boehly’s affluence to steer the club towards the very forefront of the competitive pool of talent in England, and indeed in Europe.

Despite living in the shadow of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at Atletico, Simeone has become a “master of the dark arts” – as dubbed by CBS’ Aaron West – enjoying ample success and bringing silverware to his team, winning two La Liga titles, two Europa League’s, the Copa del Rey and two UEFA Super Cup trophies.

This comes after a period in Los Colchoneros’ history of great strife, achieving promotion to the top-flight roughly ten years prior to Simeone’s arrival and winning just two major honours during this time.

A manager who is “like Mourinho” – in the words of Danny Mills – he possesses such a clear identity and proven track record of sniffing out silverware and heaping success onto his outfit.

That certainly goes in tandem with the demands and expectations of the proud and prestigious Chelsea fanbase, no strangers to roaring in adulation as their crops of players lift trophies into the air.

Organisation and tactical fluidity are the two salient aspects of Simeone’s system at Madrid, and despite not more most aesthetically-pleasing and free-flowing manager in Europe, it is these components that make up an iron-clad resolve that has formed the nucleus of his sustained success in Spain.

The 52-year-old, lauded as “absolutely exceptional” by Jurgen Klopp, could emulate the success of past Chelsea managers Mourinho and Antonio Conte – the most offensive-minded managers, the sturdy defence and steely mentality ensured silverware rained down from multiple corners.

As such, Chelsea would greatly benefit from someone of Simeone’s ilk, reconstructing the core of the club and providing the dynamic that many past Chelsea squads have held in order to steer towards success in abundance.

Stats preview to the first Test between Australia and Sri Lanka in Brisbane

Mathew Varghese07-Nov-2007Sri Lanka head in to the two-Test series against Australia in quest of
their first win in the country, something that they haven’t achieved
on eight previous attempts. Australia have only lost one Test against
Sri Lanka till date, in Kandy in 1999.

Sri Lanka’s task is even more challenging when one considers this fact:
Australia have not lost a Test in the venues for this series – the Gabba
in Brisbane and the Bellerive Oval in Hobart – in nearly 20 years. The last time Australia lost at the
Gabba was in November 1988, while they have never
lost one at the Bellerive Oval. Incidentally, Sri Lanka were
Australia’s opponents in the inaugural Test at the Bellerive Oval, a match the hosts won by 173 runs.

The consolation Sri Lanka can take is that they have managed a draw in
the solitary Test they have played at the Gabba.Sri Lanka do possess a potent bowling attack – Chaminda Vaas,
Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando and Muttiah Muralitharan – that could
trouble Australia. Since 2005, Sri Lanka’s bowling unit has been the
best in terms of average and strike-rate.

However, the figures are slightly misleading, as Sri Lanka have played seven
Tests in that period against Bangladesh, managing 137 wickets at 18.19
apiece. If you exclude figures against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka average
30.65 per wicket and Australia 27.26.The upcoming Test series will also be the first for Australia after the
retirements of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. The impact that McGrath and Warne have made is well reflected in the Australia’s win-loss ratio over the past few years
in matches with and without them.

Of the four series that Australia didn’t manage to win this decade –
against India away in 2001, against New Zealand at home in 2001, against India at home in 2003-04 and the Ashes away in 2005 – Warne and McGrath played in the entire series only twice, in 2001 against India and New Zealand. While both McGrath and Warne missed the home series against India, a freak injury
before the start of the second Ashes Test meant McGrath only played two of the last four Tests.However, if the recent records of the Stuarts – MacGill and Clark, the
two who will take over from Warne and McGrath – are anything to go by,
Ricky Ponting need not panic over the absence of his strike bowlers.

The batsmen have tended to do well at the Gabba, the venue for the first
Test, with both spinners and the pace bowlers not having much success in
Tests of late.

Sri Lanka’s batsmen will need to string together partnerships at the
Gabba, something which the visiting teams have failed to do in recent years.

With the retirement of Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden will have another
left-hander – Phil Jaques – as his partner at the top of the order for
Australia. Hayden has been involved in the two most successful
partnerships in the 2000s – with Langer and Ponting. Sri Lanka’s likely
opening pair – Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya – figure in the top five
while the middle-order pair of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara
are in sixth place.

Journalists Nizaar Kinsella and Michael Bridge have heaped praise on Tottenham Hotspur after some transfer news out of north London.

Who have Tottenham signed?

Ange Postecoglou saw his ranks significantly reinforced over the summer window, as Spurs sealed deals for seven major signings.

Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon, striker Alejo Veliz and forward Brennan Johnson all put pen to paper on moves to N17 before September 1; providing more strength in depth.

This comes as former superstar Harry Kane, Sergio Reguilon, Joe Rodon, Djed Spence, Harry Winks, Alfie Devine, Troy Parrott, Dane Scarlett, Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele seal moves elswhere is a real overhaul of the squad.

Postecoglou, chairman Daniel Levy and new Chief Football Officer Scott Munn are beginning to reshape the Spurs team in their new manager's image. It's been quite the start for him, too, as Tottenham begin the Premier League campaign with three wins from their opening four matches.

Impressively, they're currently matching last season's treble-winning Man City side for goals scored so far this season (11); highlighting the very promising early stages of Postecoglou're tenure in charge.

The Australian's appointment has also marked the return of open, attacking fooball at Tottenham with players like Dejan Kulusevski saying Postecoglou's ability has taken him by "surprise".

"I've been a little surprised but he’s really good," said Kulusevski on his new boss.

"We had a very tough time at the end of last season but he has come in with really positive energy and it has gone very quickly. We are a young team and everyone wants to play this way… It's clear that all of us players have done our best to listen as much as possible."

What's the latest Spurs transfer news?

Life under Postecoglou has been joyous for both members of the squad and players alike.

Tottenham have also been building an under-the-radar project for their new manager behind-the-scenes, as relayed by Alasdair Gold, who said this week that there is an "unseen" academy revolution happening right now.

The signing of Luka Vuskovic, who is joining Spurs' thriving youth set up when he turns 18 in 2025, is set to add further promise to their already-exciting crop of young talent at Hotspur Way.

Sky journalist Bridge, speaking to the Last Word on Spurs podcast this week (as transcribed by To The Lane and Back), says it's "very, very positive move".

“Now I don’t think Spurs will see him until 2025. But the fact that Spurs are actually thinking that far ahead is very, very positive," said Bridge.

"One person who knows the youth level has said to me that this kid could be ready at 18, which is quite unbelievable. But I suppose that’s backed up by the level he’s playing.”

Another member of the media to heap praise on Spurs after the signing of Vuskovic is The Evening Standard's Kinsella, who writes on X that the club have made a "really exciting signing" for Postecoglou.

Kinsella said: "Really exciting signing from Tottenham."

Time is running out for Jason Holder’s team to identify combinations for the World Cup Qualifiers next year, even as Tom Latham’s men seek to close out 2017 with a 3-0 sweep

The Preview by Akshay Gopalakrishnan25-Dec-2017Big PictureA month after arriving in New Zealand, West Indies are still in search of a win on the tour. They were blanked 2-0 in the Tests and have already conceded the ODIs 2-0 with a game to go. These performances are indicative of what has largely been a forgettable 2017 for the team. West Indies have lost 15 out of the 21 ODIs they’ve played this year, failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy in England – a contest between the eight top ranked teams in the world – and they also lost out on a direct entry into the 2019 World Cup.That leaves West Indies to go through the qualifying tournament in March next year, where they will compete with nine other teams for the last two available spots for the next World Cup in England. Given the highly competitive nature of that tournament, the sooner West Indies can identify and settle into a combination that will take them into the tournament and ahead, the better.Poor shot selection, repetitive errors and recklessness plagued West Indies in the second ODI, which they lost by 204 runs after crumbling to 121 all out in a chase of 326. It urged their coach Stuart Law to impel the batsmen to use better discretion. With the kind of firepower that West Indies boast, some degree of application from the batsmen could help them challenge New Zealand for the first time on the tour.New Zealand continue to be without the rested duo of Tim Southee and Kane Williamson, but have enough strength at the bench to make up for their absence. This hasn’t been New Zealand’s most dominant year, with 10 wins and eight defeats, but they are still a formidable ODI side at home. Barring a 2-3 defeat to South Africa early this year, New Zealand have not lost a home series since 2014.New Zealand’s batting depth came to the fore in the last match when they recovered from 186 for 5 to end up with 325 in 50 overs. And each of their pacers is equipped to exploit the swing on offer, led by Trent Boult, who returned career-best figures of 7 for 34 in the second ODI.Form guideNew Zealand WWLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies LLLLLIn the spotlightOpener George Worker has had a solid start to his ODI career. He is reaping the benefits of a fruitful 2016-17 domestic season, followed by a strong club season in England. Worker has thrived in the absence of Martin Guptill, who is still overcoming a hamstring strain. With a brace of half-centuries already in this series, another strong show will make things interesting on the selection front once Guptill is fit.Shannon Gabriel has been rendered ineffective in seamer-friendly conditions. He hasn’t done justice to his pace and has gone wicketless this series. Besides, he has gone for 132 runs in the 20 overs he has bowled. Coming from one of the strike bowlers in the team, that is a tad underwhelming. West Indies need Gabriel at his best to stop a powerful New Zealand line-up and avoid a 3-0 sweep.Team newsNew Zealand are unlikely to ring in changes. Mitchell Santner has not played a part in this ODI series yet, and that will likely remain the case, with Todd Astle having scored runs and picked up wickets in the two games so far.New Zealand (probable): 1 George Worker, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Neil Broom, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (capt, wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 Todd Astle, 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Trent BoultLaw sounded optimistic about Chris Gayle’s recovery from a bout of viral infection. Gayle has been in belligerent form lately: he struck a record 18 sixes in a T20 innings, in the final of the recently-concluded Bangladesh Premier League that gave his side Rangpur Riders the title. Should Gayle recover, Kyle Hope will sit out.Ronsford Beaton, who was pulled up for a suspect action after the second ODI, is likely to miss out with a side strain, while Kesrick Williams has hamstring troubles. That leaves West Indies thin on the fast-bowling front and they may be forced to pick the left-arm spinner Nikita Miller.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle/Kyle Hope, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Jason Mohammed, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Nikita Miller, 10 Sheldon Cottrell , 11 Shannon GabrielPitch and conditionsChristchurch is known to be a pacer’s paradise, with the greenness of the surface and the swing it offers. But once the new ball is blunted, it does tend to favour batting, as witnessed in the previous game where New Zealand put up 325 from 186 for 5. All that is only if the weather permits. A cold start is expected on Boxing Day, with isolated showers, especially around midday and evening.Stats and trivia Tom Latham needs 133 runs to complete 2000 runs in One-Day Internationals. West Indies’ 204-run defeat in the second ODI was their heaviest to New Zealand in ODIs.Quotes “It’s a little bit different waking up [on Christmas] morning and saying ‘Merry Christmas’ to everybody. Nice to get out of the house [for training] and earn the Christmas ham.”
“Words are cheap. We’ve got to see actions now. I don’t think what we saw in the first two games is a fair indication of how well these guys can play. We were trying to get 300 in 25 overs, when we had 50 overs to get it. Our guys want to be positive and play an attractive brand, but you can’t be reckless with it. You’ve got to be smart in the way you go about it.”

Mario Balotelli is reportedly attracting interest from three Serie A clubs ahead of a possible return to Italy this month.

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• Balotelli linked with Serie A trio
• Udinese, Salernitana and Empoli interested
• Currently playing for Adana Demirspor in Turkey

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Balotelli claimed in November that he was still the "strongest" Italian striker in a bid to force a recall to the national team, and he has now been linked with a potential return to Serie A. Udinese, Salernitana and Empoli have all been credited with an interest in the 33-year-old by , whose contract in Turkey expires this summer.

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  Balotelli has seen his minutes limited by knee surgery this season, as he has made just five league appearances. The former Manchester City and Inter striker has scored three goals in that time and the report claims that Balotelli would like to return to Serie A in order to put himself in contention for Italy's Euro 2024 squad.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Balotelli has endured a nomadic career in recent years. Since leaving Manchester City in 2013, he has played for AC Milan, Liverpool, Nice, Marseille, Brescia, Monza, Adana Demirspor and Sion. He has won 36 caps for Italy to date, scoring 14 goals.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BALOTELLI?

  Balotelli will hope to complete a move while the January transfer window is still open if he really has ambitions of playing at the European Championships. It remains to be seen if his injury status will affect his availability.

Manchester United are set to continue with their pursuit of striker Rasmus Hojlund as Fabrizio Romano has dropped another update…

Are Manchester United close to signing Rasmus Hojlund?

The Italian journalist tweeted:

“Rasmus Højlund wants Man United, it’s very clear since day one of negotiations and these final days of the week could be crucial.

“PSG bid hasn’t changed Højlund mind at this stage: priority Man Utd, club set for new round of talks w/Atalanta.

“Up to Man United now.”

This comes after the Red Devils sent a proposal of €60m (£51.4m) to Atalanta, yet the Serie A outfitt are demanding €70m (£60m) to secure his signing.

Paris Saint-Germain also remain keen on signing the young striker, although they have yet to agree personal terms with the player, unlike United.

With the next stage of negotiations looking like they will make or break any potential deal, Erik ten Hag must make a solid pitch to the Danish international.

How many goals has Rasmus Hojlund scored?

While Mason Mount and Andre Onana have arrived at Old Trafford during the transfer window, the Dutchman is desperate to bolster his attacking options ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

United scored just 58 league goals last term, with only Aston Villa in the top half scoring less and this needs to be fixed if they wish to challenge for their first top-flight crown since 2013.

Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes led the way in terms of goals scored, as they bagged 30 and 14 goals respectively across all competitions, yet Ten Hag simply can't afford to rely on just two players for another campaign.

Hojlund could certainly take the pressure off the duo, having netted 16 times for both Atalanta and SK Sturm Graz last term, and he can boast a tally of 33 goals for both club and country since making his senior bow in 2020.

The 20-year-old gem ranked first across the whole Atalanta squad for shots on target per game last term (0.9) whilst also winning two penalties, and it’s clear he thrives in the opposition penalty area by causing chaos for defenders.

The Danish prodigy could form an exciting attacking duo alongside Antony, who shone in spells during his debut season in Manchester.

Eight goals and three assists weren’t the most sparkling of returns given the club had shelled out £81.3m for his services, however, he did rank in the top 5% across Europe’s big five leagues for total shots per 90 (3.44) and top 15% for progressive carries per 90 (4.55), suggesting that he is always aiming to score and progresses the ball close to the opposition goal.

This could suit Hojlund, who would be ready to receive passes from Antony in the box, aiming to stick any chances away especially as the Danish striker ranked in the top 1% compared to positional peers for progressive passes received (10.99) and top 7% for touches in the opposition box (6.53) per 90, suggesting he could be the ideal player to link up with Antony.

Once hailed as a “machine” by Raffael Behounek, a former opponent, Hojlund could certainly improve United’s faltering attack, and he has the potential to turn into one of Ten Hag’s finest-ever signings in the process.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been voted Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month for November and fans can't believe their eyes.

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Erik ten Hag wins PL Manager of the MonthFans can't believe their eyesHis third PL Manager of the MonthWHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester United was the only team without a loss, with a perfect winning record and victories in all three of their games against Everton, Fulham, and Luton Town. They were also the only team to remain goalless for the whole month. Despite this, the team's terrible Champions League form and off-field turmoil has given the feeling that the Red Devils are in crisis. Fans had to double-check the official announcement as they couldn't believe the Dutchman's selection.

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This is Ten Hag's third manager of the month after he won it in September 2022 and February 2023. His defender, Harry Maguire, also won the Premier League Player of the Month. The former captain of the side won back the Dutch coach's approval after he was originally transfer-listed in the summer.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson is the only manager to have won the prestigious award more than the Dutchman. He received the gong a record 27 times for the Red Devils, the last of which came in October 2012.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

The Dutchman's side will now be in action when they take on Bournemouth on Saturday, December 9 as they look to continue their winning run in the Premier League. The Red Devils may look to rest the side and focus on their clash against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.